A persona is
your alter ego in the SCA. Some people have only a name, some have a
complete life story that moves through the years with them. Some stay in
persona completely while at events, appearing to not recognize modern things
like cars or cell phones, and others do not always realize that having a can of
soda on the table can decrease the experience for others. The game that
we essentially play is at being a medieval person, and living a life from
hundreds of years ago. We all need to strive to create an atmosphere that
helps us to momentarily be in another place or time.

It is up to
you whether you dive all the way into the game or not. How much someone
wants to get out of the SCA varies from one person to the next.

Having a Name

The first
thing most of us do is to choose a name. Take your time with your choice
because it can be hard to change later on. It is allowed to change your
name, or even to register more than one name, but it can be hard to get the
people who know you well by one name to begin to remember to call you something
else. And then if you have received any awards under the one name, your
scrolls will bear that name, and that name will appear on the Order of
Precedence.

Think about
whether you have a preference for a certain culture, or time period.
Consider the general sound of a name that you would like. Think about how
the name feels. Try using it for a while, and see if you are comfortable
with it. Consult a name herald for assistance. Try looking at the
St Gabriel's website (see the resources section), You do not have to
register a name in order to use it, however it helps to initially choose a name
that can be registered. This is because if you ever want to register a
device ("coat of arms"), you must have a name either in submission or
already registered. It would be easier for you if you did not have to
change a name that you have been using (and that you like) due to it not being
registerable.

Persona history

To create a
life story more than just a name for your alter ego, there are questions you want
to ask yourself.

When did your
persona live? You could choose a year of birth, and have your persona be
your age, and advance in years with you. Or you can simply choose a span
of time that you find interesting, such as the age of the Vikings, or the age
of the Black Prince, etc.

Where did your
persona live? Again, you can be very specific by selecting a street in a
town. Or you can be less specific and just decide on a country,
nationality, or culture.

What did your
persona do? Was he/she married? Was he a soldier? Would
he/she have known the finer things in life? Would he/she have
traveled? Why did your persona need to travel? How did you get from
one place to another?

How did see
your persona see his/her life, and place in society? What about
religion? Even if you are not religious, think about how your
persona would have viewed faith.

What did
he/she eat? How did they acquire the food? Who prepared it?
What utensils were used? Was it spicy? Was it nutritious? How many
meals a day? And did that that differ depending on the time of year?

What did
he/she wear? Who made the clothes? What kind of cloth was used, and
where did the fabric come from? What happened to the clothing when they were
done with it?

What was your
persona's general health? What did they do when not feeling well?
How did they maintain their health?

What pastimes
would you have enjoyed? Did you play games, gamble, tell stories, sing
songs, dance? Could you read? Did you sew, spin, weave, or embroider?
Would you have known more than one language? Could you read? Could
you write?

As you begin
think about what interests you, keep some of these questions in mind. You
may find that your persona begins to develop as you learn more. It's
possible to pick a specific time and place, choose an occupation and research
everything associated with that. Some people join the SCA just to "play,"
and others love the education. The nice thing is that there's room for
both types to enjoy themselves within the same organization.

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Copyright 2012 by Alison Choyce.
<Greenfaere at gmail.com>. Permission is granted for republication in
SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change,
but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified
of the publication and if possible receives a copy.

If this article is reprinted in
a publication, I would appreciate a notice in the publication that you found
this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so
that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.